


Together

by Beth Harker (Beth_Harker)



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 11:35:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17223290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beth_Harker/pseuds/Beth%20Harker
Summary: Jack, David, a cold day, and a cozy place by the wood stove.





	Together

Esther Jacobs only kept the wood stove burning when there was company over. That was one of the things that David always said to convince Jack to spend more time at his house. On one hand, Jack guessed that Esther didn’t just leave the stove burning day in and day out because the Jacobs family couldn’t afford it. On the other, Jack didn’t want anybody to get sick because he was personally failing to provide them with heat. It was a big responsibility. He always felt at least a little responsible for David. With most people, Jack tried to only think about them when they were right there in his face, not from lack of caring, but from having enough to deal with without constantly worrying about people that weren’t even present. David was different.

The coldest selling days tended to fall in February. Sure, maybe December and January had lower temperatures, but the thing with February was, by then everybody was sick of winter. A particularly artistic blizzard could potentially transform Manhattan into a wonderland of powdery white snow and icicles that glistened like diamonds, and still be met with only groans of despair from even the most optimistic of the newsboys. Neither Jack nor David were that, and they’d spent half the day coming up with increasingly colorful ways to insult nature’s glory (Jack had to admit, there was something especially enticing about hearing Davey curse). When David smiled conspiratorially through chattering teeth, and invited Jack back to his place at the end of the day, Jack took in David’s cold-reddened cheeks, and grayish hands, and tried to tell himself that he was doing a solemn duty by accompanying his friend home. If he couldn’t keep the smile off his face, then what of it? It wasn’t like pleasure and duty never got to overlap.

Back at the Jacobs home, they ate boiled eggs, sardines, and toast for dinner. Then Jack found himself sitting cross legged on the floor, in a little semi-circle around the stove, with David, Sarah, and Les. Esther brought them another plate of bread to share.

“It’s like I have given birth to a group of small cats,” Esther said. “When I was a little girl in Poland, the cat my father kept singed his tail sitting as you do.” She clicked her tongue reproachfully, but didn’t bother to make them move. Jack tried to ignore the twist in his stomach at being included, most likely unintentionally, with the Jacobs kids.

Les was the first to fall asleep. Esther picked him up off Jack’s shoulder, and carried him to bed. Sarah wandered off eventually, to keep her mother company at her sewing.

That left Jack and David at the fire. David was still rubbing his hands, as if to get the circulation back into them. “You ever have those days where you just can’t get warm, no matter what?” David asked.

“Yeah,” Jack replied, not that he usually had much to stay warm with.

“You should probably stay the night,” David suggested, almost too casually.

“To keep you warm?” Jack gave David a pointed look.

“It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.”

“Sure it is, Dave.”

“Is that a yes?”

“I guess I’ll have to keep real close to you, huh?” Jack teased. He liked the way that David swallowed and went quiet at that. A moment later, David nodded, just slightly, and Jack felt warmer than he had in years.


End file.
